Open Syllabus Project

The Open Syllabus Project made it possible for instructors to upload their course syllabus into the Course and Time Roster. You can link to the current roster from this webpage that is maintained by the Office of University Registrar. Not all courses have an uploaded syllabus.

The idea of having online syllabi was proposed in a February 2016 Student Assembly resolution. This March 2017 Senate Presentation by the VPUE describes the system. With respect to requiring the syllabus upload, the SA resolution “recommends that where practical and appropriate, professors upload a digital copy of the syllabus” while the VPUE presentation indicates that the “provost’s office is not imposing requirements on either form or content.”

Some benefits of online syllabus access:

It enables students to make more informed decisions about course selection. This includes having a more in-depth summary of course content than what is provided in Courses of Study and a more accurate assessment of workload than what is available through the grapevine.

It reduces the need to “physically shop around” at the start of the semester, a phenomena that can exacerbate the waitlist problem in certain courses.

The course description can inspire an anxious student to get out of his/her comfort zone.

Public syllabi make it easier for faculty to design sensible prerequisites and to identify curriculum gaps.

Faculty are typically reminded about syllabus uploading by their colleges a bit before preregistration. ( Uploading Instructions / FAQ